This angel is one of those religious carvings that truly takes your breath away. The figure has been carved so beautifully and painted with such sensitivity that it sets her apart from most religious carvings that date to the late 19th century. Click on images to enlarge.
In this full length photo the quality of the carving really shows through in the fluidity of the fabric and her sense of movement. She has her original glass eyes and her very sculptural carved wings.
The Jielde industrial steel lamp is illuminating a bonsai tree sculpture nestled in the Art Deco aquarium. Behind the deco aquarium is another earlier cast iron aquarium dating to the late 19th century.
This is a wonderful deco cast iron aquarium with a slate bottom and original glass panels. It is marked “jewel” on the front of its base. This size aquarium is perfect for maidenhair fern, orchids, african violets, and even fish! Click on images to enlarge.
French free-blown glass cloche bell jar made in the late 19th century was used to protect tender plants from the cold. Period cloches are very hard to find in this condition. I have filled it with interesting seed pods to add texture and contrast.
This pair of cast stone compotes lasted one full day in the shop. I couldn’t resist at least getting a photo of them before they went out the door.
One of the smallest things to come into the shop recently and one of my personal favorites was this carved Brazil nut “fruit” (full of Brazil nuts) with a faux copper stem and leaves. So simple and yet so beautifully crafted. Before I could decide if this treasure just may have to go home with me, it sold right after I took this photo. Click on images to enlarge.
The 12 foot long table in the back of the shop seems to hold all the big heavy things. I just acquired the two English chimney pots, they are an unusual size, small enough to go on a large table or on either side of a doorway. Between the chimney pots is a brass and cast iron English scale with a large rock crystal formation on top of it and next to the scale is a red and black 19th century bookpress retaining its original polychrome. For some strange reason I have always found bookpresses interesting. I love books and so I think the idea of hand binding a book is very romantic, however, I also have a feeling the actual practice of book binding is much harder work than one would think.
This is a closeup of one of the English chimney pots, it has a very architectural feel to it. Click on images to enlarge.
These dogs I found in Holland, they date to the late 19th century and are covered in real lambs wool and have glass eyes. They have amazing details and are quite realistic. I have been asked several times if they are real stuffed dogs, which is not something I would carry in the shop. These dogs were cherished by some child in the past and were probably made in Germany around 1890.
This little doggie has decided to take a ride in a very well made miniature advertising coal car. The car dates from the late 19th century and has been entirely handmade out of wood and tin with cast iron wheels. The car measures just over 15 inches long and is very realistic. Click on images to enlarge.
This French 19th century cast iron and brass pastry table came in with some of the other garden items from a really wonderful St. Louis estate this past week. The pastry table has a one inch thick white marble top that is just perfect on the black iron base. This is also the first pastry table I have had in the shop that is signed with a makers stamp deeply impressed into the iron with the makers name and “Paris” stamped below his name. Roxy, my schnauzer, was wondering what all the fuss was about; all of those new treasures aren’t worth one doggie bone to her. Come see Roxy in her window watching the world go by every Thursday thru Saturday, 10 to 4, she will be just as uninterested in the shop treasure but will be more than happy to give you a sniff. Be sure to check us out on Facebook!
